Benjamin Netanyahu: Terrorism is a cancer

(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated July 31, 1985)Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Benjamin Netanyahu at 35 is one of Israel's youngest diplomats. He is also one of its most effective. Netanyahu is a recognised expert on international terrorism.Before the world accepted that terrorism was anything other than an Israeli problem, he hosted a symposium in Jerusalem five years ago that foreshadowed the unfortunate events that have unfolded around the world. Netanyahu is the brother of the Israeli hero Colonel Jonathan Netanyahu, the ground commander of the Entebbe operation and Israel's sole casualty there.advertisementNetanyahu is a hard liner in that he feels appeasement can never work and only resolute action is an effective measure against worldwide terrorism. He is forthright and honest. What follows is an interview between Netanyahu and our Washington Correspondent Inderjit Badhwar. It is the first ever given to an Indian correspondent. The interview took a surprising twist when during its course. Netanyahu, fully aware of the political differences between India and Israel, called for cementing ties between the two countries. "We don't even ask India to accept all of our political positions," he said. Excerpts:
Q. What new developments have changed terrorism in the last five years?A. Terrorism has become a weapon of warfare used by governments against governments, in that it is different from the work of individuals or groups. The main countries supporting terrorism are the Soviet bloc, including Cuba, and the radical Arab states and Iran, who are using it as an instrument of foreign policy. And the major targets have been democracies and countries aligned with democracies. Terrorist wars are shadow wars, the new wars.advertisementQ. What countries are most susceptible?A. Democracies and open societies are vulnerable because there are no barriers on movement or transfers of money, and there are few, if any, personal curbs on individuals. Totalitarian societies are not only able to squelch terrorism within their own borders, but also have a natural and philosophical alliance with terrorist groups.Q. What are the real dangers of terrorism?A. Terrorism obliterates the distinction between combatant and non-combatant. A child is seen as a potential soldier. A mother is seen as an enemy because she will give birth to a child. Their wars are waged in supermarkets, schools. While war is a tragic element of life, there are war crimes and they are not permissible. Terrorists deliberately choose women and children as targets because they are indefensible.Q. What nurtures terrorism?A. Terrorism grows by direct nurturing of class, political and religious conflicts. International terrorism has taken violent groups and internationalised the conflicts. For example, the PLO has offered arms and money and embassies for use by one side against the other in these conflicts - usually the radical left wing. But there are also right wing terrorist groups like the Mussolini Action Squads (Italian fascists). Why don't you hear about them? Because no mainstream governments have offered them any kind of support.advertisementQ. What countries support international terrorism?A. Syria, South Yemen and Iran espouse doctrines of terrorist states. They have their own terrorists plus they support international groups. They use terrorism as an instrument of warfare against other states. There are very few cases where a local terrorist campaign - if it is successful - remains local. A determined group can sustain a terrorist campaign only if it can find a host government to support it.Q. How can governments fight terrorism?A. Governments facing terrorism must educate their citizens to be ever vigilant. Straight terrorist actions deliberately and systematically damage civilians. Those people who turned on those radios which exploded in Delhi had nothing to do with the grievances the terrorists were fighting. This is what distinguishes the victim of terrorism from the incidental civilian casualties of war. For example, the RAF bombers against Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen in World War II missed the target and released their bombs on scores of children. That was an accident. It was not terrorism.Q. What is the danger of world terrorism?A. Terrorism is a cancer that spreads. If it is not stopped it spreads through the body politic and it destroys democracies. It is not a marginal threat to democratic societies. It undermines the faith of people in the Government and in the rule of law. It is a precursor of anarchism, and anarchism is the precursor of totalitarianism.advertisementQ. Won't counter-measures destroy democracy?A. Democracies are often paralysed by the thought that if they take steps against terrorism they will destroy democracy. That's not true. Italy, West Germany, Britain. Israel - exemplary democracies who have taken steps against terrorism - have maintained their civil liberties and the rule of law by taking vigorous action against terrorists.Q. How can terrorism be fought?A. In the face of terrorism, citizens have to be educated to be soldiers. Democracies must use the mass media - TV, radio - and show the people what terrorist bombs and devices look like. And governments must refuse as far as possible to yield to terrorist demands. Surrender produces more terrorism. Whenever possible, even in hostage situations, action must be taken to free the hostages even at considerable cost of life. Other steps include infiltration of terrorist groups through intelligence, disruption and seeking out of terrorist sanctuaries and concentrations before they can get you: Israel had a terrorist mini-state of 30,000 with a potential army of 60,000 in the north. Our cities were beginning to empty out because of indefensible danger from terrorists. In this case we had to pursue the terrorist threat outside our borders.advertisementQ. Isn't there a danger of a wide war if terrorists are pursued across national borders?A. It makes no difference if they are inside or outside the country. A government's primary duty is to ensure the safety of its citizens. If the terrorists are outside your territory that is controlled by a government either assisting the terrorists or is unable to control them, then you have every right and obligation for cross border attacks. Or if a foreign government is colluding with the terrorists - like Idi Amin, who was in cahoots with German and Arab terrorists (in Entebbe) then you should not be paralysed by a misguided absolutist concept of sovereignty. By doing so we're protecting the very countries who support shadow wars and are not themselves guided by this doctrine. There can be no paralysis. A democratic government has to establish the principle that terrorism is unacceptable.advertisementQ. But terrorists claim they are justified because all other means have failed.A. The moment you begin to rationalise the motives of people using terrorism you become open to further terrorism. Terrorism for any goal is unjustifiable. Nothing can justify blowing up the brains of a two-year-old girl, or blasting a bus full of schoolchildren. The minute you begin to make excuses, you paralyse yourself and lose moral authority. A democratic government must learn this lesson first.Q. Is Israel now in a better position politically, for taking the stands that it has?A. Throughout the decade of the 70s, Israel was isolated and ostracised. But it hasn't worked. We see a great improvement in Israel's international position in the 1980s. This is partly because of the decline of Arab oil power. There is now no fear of the oil embargo that was felt in Washington, Paris, Tokyo. Israel had been expelled from Africa because of Arab pressure and oil promises. But Israel is now coming back to Africa. The Arab threat is no real threat and the Arab promises were no real promises.Q. Can you give some specifics?A. Israel's aid and agricultural exports are now being sought increasingly in countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. We now have diplomatic relations with 70 other countries and other formal relationships with a hundred more asking for economic, scientific and military cooperation. And the numbers are increasing every day. Every day of the week there is an approach to us being made by a new country. And this represents a dramatic change. Our decade of isolation is over.Q. Any other reasons for this change?A. Another reason for the change is the decline of the PLO. The blow they received in Lebanon not only destroyed their capability of terror against Israel, but also destroyed their position as a terrorist mini-state and their power to intimidate other Arab states. They no longer have this power of intimidation. Before Lebanon, the PLO had the aura of inevitability - the destruction of the State of Israel. This is no longer true. There is now set the stage for different movements for accommodation between Israel and its neighbours and the West Bank.Q. How does this change Israel's global relationships?A. This also means that internationally many other countries are no longer afraid of the oil threat and PLO blackmail. And this opens up new economic and political opportunities. We would like very much to expand ties with India. India recognises our right to exist. But we are now even getting approaches from countries that don't even recognise us.Q. What common interests do you see between Israel and India?A. India is a sister democracy. We admire India and its potential. There can be tremendous mutual benefits with closer ties. More and more countries are now acting in their own interests rather than placating Arab pressure. We don't even ask India to accept all our political positions. We have trade and economic relations with countries who have much less in common with us than does India. It's high time that Israel and India cement their ties.Subscribe to India Today MagazineTune InMust Watch

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